Healthcare employers are facing one of the most pressing workforce challenges to date: retaining experienced nurses in a time of increasing care demand and systemic strain. According to Incredible Health’s 6th Annual 2025 State of U.S. Nurses and Technicians Report, 18.3% of nurses say they are very likely to leave their job this year—a notable drop from 23% in 2024, suggesting progress, but with nurse attrition still a high-stakes issue.
Healthcare organizations must act now to understand the foundational reasons nurses are leaving and implement holistic, evidence-based nurse retention strategies. This article explores five key drivers of nurse turnover, supported by new 2025 data, with actionable approaches healthcare leaders can deploy today.
1. Burnout and Emotional Fatigue Remain Pervasive
Even with fewer nurses planning to leave, burnout remains the most cited and most damaging risk factor for turnover. The nationwide nurse shortage continues to overwhelm staff and threaten care quality.
According to the 2025 report:
- 79.9% of nurses say stress has increased due to staffing issues
- 72.5% report heavier responsibilities but fewer resources
- 69.4% cite reduced time with patients as result of short staffing
- 29.3% believe burnout will worsen over the next year
On top of these conditions, 58.5% of nurses say they do not feel supported by their employers.
Nurse Retention Strategies for Burnout:
- Conduct regular pulse surveys to understand staff stressors
- Address understaffing as a priority, leveraging nurse recruitment tools and software to fill open roles quickly
- Use staffing analytics and acuity-based scheduling to prioritize coverage
- Normalize and expand mental health support services, such as debriefing and crisis counseling
- Promote team-based care and peer mentorship to reduce isolation and emotional toll
2. Compensation Gaps Are Driving Career Decisions
Pay remains a dominant factor in nurses’ job satisfaction and mobility — particularly in a challenging economic climate.
According to our findings:
- 66% of nurses say they are not fairly compensated
- 64.9% cite the economy as impacting their career decisions — driven by increased stress (48.2%) and poor work-life balance (26.8%)
- 50% of acute care nurses are considering switching to non-acute roles, citing balance (63.4%), burnout (54%), and flexibility (36.1%)
- 54.5% say that housing costs affect willingness to relocate—up from 47.4% in 2024
Nurse Retention Strategies Strategies for Compensation:
- Offer longevity or retention bonuses to reward tenure
- Increase geographic pay transparency and benchmark against market data
- Explore housing stipends or relocation support where affordability is a barrier
- Highlight total compensation value, including PTO, retirement, and insurance
- Develop documented career mobility planning for every nurse
3. Unsafe Work Environments and Unaddressed Workplace Violence
A psychologically and physically safe environment is non-negotiable—but too many nurses report being placed at risk.
Data snapshot:
- 46.2% of nurses experienced verbal or physical assault in the last year
- Main contributing factors include: patients in altered mental states (32.1%), frustration with wait times (22.1%), and high patient-to-staff ratios (16.1%)
Workplace safety directly affects retention by influencing mental health, morale, and willingness to remain in bedside roles.
Nurse Retention Strategies for Workplace Safety:
- Establish zero-tolerance violence policies with clear incident reporting pathways
- Train staff in de-escalation and trauma-informed care techniques
- Reconfigure waiting and triage areas to reduce crowding and agitation
- Partner with security and social work to address high-risk patients proactively
4. Lack of Career Progression and Growth Paths
Nurses increasingly expect clear opportunities for professional development. Without them, stagnation breeds dissatisfaction—even among those committed to the profession.
Our survey results indicated:
- 1 in 5 clinicians want to grow into new roles but feel unsupported
- 29.6% of those planning to leave want to stay within healthcare, just not in their current job—up from 25% last year
- 15.1% want to change specialties
- Despite this, 85% of nurses say they plan to stay in healthcare through retirement
Nurse Retention Strategies for Career Growth:
- Build clinical ladders and nurse leadership tracks with transparent advancement criteria
- Offer continuing education credits, certification prep, and tuition assistance
- Host internal mobility fairs to highlight cross-unit and growth opportunities
- Pair high-potential staff with mentors outside their unit for broader exposure
5. AI Adoption Is Rising—But Training and Trust Are Lagging
Technology is beginning to reshape nursing operations, but many nurses are not yet prepared—or supported—to adopt it confidently.
We found:
- 85.4% of nurses have yet to use AI in their role
- Among those who have, top use cases are patient monitoring (30%), workflow optimization (29%), and diagnostics (28.6%)
- 85% of nurses say their teams need more AI training
- Only 38.1% now fear AI will negatively impact their job—a significant drop from 64% in 2024
The takeaway: nurses are open to AI but want clear guidance and intentional integration.
Nurse Retention Strategies for AI Readiness:
- Integrate AI education into onboarding and ongoing training curricula
- Provide real-world scenarios that show how AI complements—not replaces—clinical judgment
- Engage nurses in AI solution selection and pilot testing to build tech champions
- Acknowledge nurse concerns about depersonalization and maintain focus on patient-centered care
- Prepare your hiring teams for how AI is revolutionizing nurse recruitment
How Incredible Health Supports Nurse Retention
While organizational strategies are critical, healthcare systems do not have to face workforce challenges alone. Incredible Health partners with top health systems nationwide to strengthen permanent nurse hiring, boost engagement, and reduce turnover.
Healthcare systems that recognize this shift—and build intentional nurse-centric strategies—will be best positioned to thrive. Your workforce challenges aren’t insurmountable. They’re solvable with the right data, partnerships, and tools.
How Incredible Health supports you::
- AI-powered matching with pre-vetted, qualified RNs looking for permanent roles from our national talent pool
- Accelerating your time to hire by 5X
- Improving nurse retention rates by 15%
Book a demo to discover how Incredible Health can help support your nurse recruitment and retention goals.
